When Bad Meets Worse
by HeartOfPlumbum
Summary: Stefan is gone. Damon is on his trail to bring him back home to Elena and back where he belongs when he runs into a friend from his past. A friend who reminds him of who he truly is and what he is missing out on. Charity is a lost cause and she likes it that way. Bold and beautiful. Strong and full of attitude she reminds Damon of the days when they just didn't care.
1. Chapter 1

Alaric wasn't having a good day.

When Damon had wrangled him into investigating an attack in Tennessee he had thought nothing of it but now, as they approached the large white farmhouse, he couldn't help but feel a sense of dread wash over him. Damon seemed unaffected as he put a foot in the house, showing that whoever owned this house was definitely dead. They followed the bloodstains on the wall, heading deeper into the house. Damon was just saying something about it being Stefan's signature when he was cut off by the sight of three girls sitting on a couch.

The fact that there were people there wasn't the surprising part, Alaric had assumed that they were going to find dead bodies; the surprising part was while two were bloody and cut up one was sitting there reading a book, very much alive. She didn't even look up when they walked in so Alaric to the time to study her.

She looked to be in her early-twenties and quite short if it wasn't for the red four inch heels she was sporting. Her long cotton candy pink hair was in a victory roll on the top of her head with the rest pinned in a bun. Her light blue eyes studying what Alaric could make out as some crappy teen vampire book. She was wearing a high wasted black pencil skirt that flared out at the bottom, a red short sleeved blouse tucked into that. There was an interesting old looking ring on her left middle finger that was a pearl set into a nest of silver strings that swirled and curled around each other, making Alaric wonder if that was a daylight ring.

Without looking up to see who her intruders where she calmly said, "You know it surprises me how far away from the myths people can stray. I mean does not being able to get drunk seem like a thing anyone would be able to live with, even vampires?" She raised a perfectly sculpted eyebrow and looked between the two men.

By now all of the shock was off of Damon's face and it had reset into its usual smug expression, "You know you could have just called. You didn't have to visit in person."

"Ah but I had to check to see if you were the one that let grumpy Stefan out." She stood, set the book down, and walked over to where Damon was standing with her arms open. Damon pulled her into a hug and Alaric had no idea where to even start.

He cleared his throat and Damon looked over at him as if remembering he was there. He let go of her but kept one hand around her waist, gesturing to her with the other. "Alaric I would like to introduce you to a dear friend of mine, Miss Charity Hope Repetto. Char this is Alaric Saltzman."

"Pleasure to meet you Mr. Saltzman." Charity stepped forward and held out her hand. Alaric shook it and she noted that he had a capable grip. She could tell he wasn't a vampire but she didn't write him off as someone easy to beat.

"Care to explain that a bit more?" Alaric asked once he had shaken her hand and taken a step back.

"I met Damon many a year ago when he tried to kill me. Long story short I was a better fighter than he originally thought, we shared a drink, and we became best of friends." Charity explained, walking over to where she had set her crappy book. She grabbed it and put it in her black and white polka dot purse before returning to the men.

"When I came back to Mystic Falls she decided to travel to Europe. Apparently Mystic falls was too, how did she put it?" Damon pretended to think for a moment before giving his friend a look, "Drab."

"And I still stand by that statement but when I saw reports that looked suspiciously like the work of a one Stefan Salvatore I had to return from my lovely vacation in Italy to come knock your heads together." She stated, going and elbowing her friend in the side.

"He it's not my fault he's like this!" Damon protested and Charity just gave him a look. "OK not entirely my fault. It's not like wanted to be on my deathbed so that Stefan could make a stupid deal."

Charity raised an eyebrow again before shaking her head, "OK you are going to tell me that full story later but right now we have to deal with this two." She gestured back towards the bodies.

Alaric thought it was interesting to see Damon all chummy with someone but filed that away to think more about later, they had work to do now." "You were saying something about this being Stefan's signature?"

"Well there is a reason they call him the ripper." Damon started, studying the bodies.

Charity went to stand next to him, adding; "Feeds so hard he blacks out and rips the bodies apart."

"But afterwards he feels remorse and puts them back together." Damon finishes as he nudges one of the girl's legs, making her head fall off.

"It's just the same as before." Charity nodded her head before deciding, "We should light the place on fire, no point in letting any pesky police interfere."

Damon nodded his head, "You find anything interesting while you were waiting for us?" He asked his friend making her nod her head.

"Actually I did find something that may shed some light on the situation." Both men gave her questioning looks and she walked over to the corner of the rug and stomped on a piece of the floor, a hollow sound ringing out.

Alaric seemed confused as he bent down and pulled the rug away revealing the trap door. He opened it and both looked down to see the chain filled basement. "So there was a werewolf." Damon stated, looking up at his friend questioningly.

Charity just shrugged as Alaric set the door and carpet back in place, "I don't believe it was either of these girls." Damon nodded his head and looked deep in thought as he retrieved the gas. He spread it over both of the bodies and all three left the house as the room went up in flames.

"Alaric I hope you don't mind but I would like to steal your driving buddy so we can get caught up on the ride back to Virginia." Charity said once they were outside.

"That's fine." Alaric replied, looking between the two wondering their full story. "Where did your park?"

"Just down the road. We will meet you back in Mystic Falls." They said their goodbyes and Charity lead her friend back towards where her 2014 silver Camaro was parked.

She waited until they were both seated and driving before looking over at her friend, "So Daedae, what's up?" She asked and Damon sighed and started on the long story. Beginning when he appeared in Mystic Falls and ending where they were now, with Stefan traveling as Niklaus' personal ripper and Damon being the babysitter for a dramatic teenage girl.

Throughout the time Damon was talking Charity's face kept looking more and more constipated so when he was finally done and gave her a few minutes to take it in he asked, "OK what did I do?"

She gave him a look that said 'Are you really asking me that right now' before replying, "A doppelganger that looks like Kathrine. Really, just really?"

"What?" Damon looked insulted, turning fully towards her.

"Out of anyone in the world to start another weird Salvatore brother love triangle thing you choose a doppelganger of Kathrine?" She asked raising an eyebrow.

"You seem to forget I don't like Elena." Damon protested as he crossed his arms over his chest.

"Your mouth says no but your eyes say yes my dear boy." She shot back, taking her right hand off the wheel and pointing it at her eyes with her first two fingers before pointing at his.

"I don't know what you are talking about. She is Stefan's girl." Damon pouted, slouching in his seat.

Charity glanced at her ridiculous friend and stated, "I have known you for way too many years for you to successfully lie to me."

"You should have stayed in Venice." He grumbled making Charity laugh. Deciding she had bugged him enough she turned her radio on and sifted through her CD until Crazy Bitch by Buckcherry blasted through the speakers.

Several angry but meaningful songs later Damon was in a better mood and they were pulling in front of the Salvatore house.

"Caroline is throwing a Birthday party for Elena so ignore the people." Damon explained as they got out and saw the many people milling around.

"Do I want to know why it is at your house?" Charity asked as she retrieved her bags out of the trunk of the car.

"Big and no supervision, why would they want it to be anywhere else?" He shot back and she nodded her head, "You can put your stuff in your old room. I will meet you downstairs."

"Got a birthday girl to whoo?" She asked, wiggling her eyebrows.

He bumped her with his shoulder, "Shut it brat."

She chuckled and watched him retreat into the house before heading the same way. She headed straight to the room she had stayed in many years ago when they had sought shelter in the old home for a week.

After kicking out a couple getting hot and heavy she locked the door and set her bags on the bed. After deciding that a birthday party was a perfectly good excuse to change her outfit she dug through her bags, looking for the right dress.

She finally found it and wrestled herself into the fitted sleeveless leopard print dress, whose pencil skirt went just past her knees. She liked it because it had a triangle cut out of the chest area, giving it just the right amount of sex appeal. She grabbed a belt and wrapped it around her waist before unpinning her bun, letting her curls fall around her shoulders.

Deciding she looked good she headed down the stairs to the drunken teen infested living room. She waded her way through it and outside to where Alaric was nursing what looked like scotch. Glad to see a semi familiar face she headed towards him, grabbing the bottle and pouring herself a drink.

"I can always count on Damon to have good alcohol." She stated after a moment of silence between them. Alaric nodded his head and continued to look pensive so she decided for a more direct approach. "Do you know this Elena girl's attentions for Damon?"

Alaric looked a bit surprised at the answer but still answered simply, "I didn't know she had intentions towards Damon."

Charity frowned but nodded her head. Though she didn't know this Elena she sounded like bad news for her friend, like someone that would do him more harm than good and she couldn't have someone doing harm to her friends.

"She seems to have a lot of problems." Charity probed, looking at the teacher out of the corner of her eyes.

"She is a nice girl that has had a lot put on her shoulders at a young age." Alaric said like it was final and Charity realized she wasn't going to get any helpful information from him. She scrunched her nose in thought and they continued to drink in silence both studying the teens partying like there was no tomorrow.

Charity continued on her thoughts about the doppelganger as her and Damon came into view. She definitely looked like Katherine and from the way Damon studied Elena as they talked Charity decided that she had way more of a problem then she had originally expected.

She set her drink down and crossed her arms over her chest, her frown deepening. Damon gave Elena another whipped puppy look and Charity sighed.

She definitely had her work cut out for her.

**Disclaimer: Only own my beautiful Charity**

**-I spent the better part of today watching the third season of vampire diaries with my friend and it just made me want to write a friend for Damon because he is just so sassy and he needs someone to be sassy with him. **

**-This (if you didn't notice) is set in the first episode of season three. It will continue along about the same plotline but I will change it how I see fit. **


	2. Chapter 2

"You two look chummy." Damon stated when he finally appeared.

"Well of course!" Charity joked, "Alaric and I have had a wonderful time bonding while you were flirting. I believe that I'm going to trade you out for him."

"OK one, we have obviously been away from each other too long because that was not me flirting." Damon widened his eyes to prove his point. "And two you really wound me my dear Repetto."

Charity raised an eyebrow, unconvinced. "Nope you and that Gilbert girl were just having a casual conversation with no personal space."

"Shut it sassy," Damon elbowed her. "Now come on we have to go."

"And leave my new bestie! How could I?" Charity looked mock offended as she grabbed Alaric's arm and pulled herself closer to him.

Alaric looked surprised at having his arm molested and got an uncomfortable look on his face. Damon shook his head at her and grabbed her elbow, leading her with vampiric strength toward the front door. Unable to let something go Charity called to Alaric just as they were about to enter the throng of people, "Bye honey boo bear. Don't miss me too much!"

Damon laughed and waited until they were in the front of the house before saying, "I'm pretty sure you just scarred him a little bit."

Charity let out her own giggle, "I feel like I am OK with that." She laughed again and both made the way to her car. Once she was inside and maneuvering out of the packed street she asked, "So what are we doing exactly?"

"So there is this human I have been controlling," Damon started and she looked at him questioningly. "She's a spunky little thing that can be as sharp as a tack. She said she would be here by now so we are going to go see why she's taking so long. She will be at the news station."

Charity used a stop sign to take her phone out and check where the news station actually was before continuing the conversation. "So we are going to the news station to check on your human girlfriend because you are worried about her." Charity had no idea what had happened to Damon but this was not the one she knew, the fact that he is even using a human for blood for longer than two days proves that.

"No it's not like that." He protested, his eyes growing wide in that little tic he had. "She just gives me good sex and blood when I need it. We aren't dating or anything like that."

"Cheap girls in bars give you good sex and blood too and they are a lot less of a hassle than a long term blood bag." She pointed out as she pulled into the deserted news station parking lot.

Damon rolled his eyes while getting out, "Just wait till you meet her. It isn't what you think." Charity looked apprehensive but stayed quiet as she followed him in.

The news station was dark as they walked in; she tried to listen but couldn't hear any human futzing around. She looked around, trying to see if anything was misplaced but it was hard since she hadn't actually ever been there before. Just as she was about to ask Damon if he heard anything his phone rang, breaking the silence.

He picked up and what seemed to be an annoyed Elena started yelling at him from the opposite line, saying something about a closet. With some sassy maneuvers Damon hung up on her and let out a sigh. Charity gave him a look but both vampires continued on in silence. They finally opened a door to find someone neither were expecting.

Stefan was standing there in all of his ripper glory, looking like he was mad that he had to be here. As much as Charity wished she could be upset with him for losing control and running away with an original she just couldn't be. As soon as she was introduced into the vampiric world she learned that it was a dog eat dog world and that the less attachment to the humans you had the easier it would be. It wasn't necessary to kill them but the death was just something that came with the immortality and the sooner you learn to let it go the longer you can go without turning off your emotions.

Charity had known Damon long enough to recognize the flash of surprise that crossed his face as he saw his missing brother. With what seemed like waning control Damon let out a curt, "Stefan."

Stefan nodded his head at both as he said, "Damon. Charity."

Charity was allowed a small wave before Damon began to sass his brother. "You didn't call, didn't write—"

"I need you to stop following me." Stefan interrupted him and Charity backed into the shadows of the room, deciding the brothers needed to talk it out themselves.

"It's causing some problems." Stefan said in the same annoyed tone as he started with.

Damon began to grow angry as he asked, "With who? Klaus? I'm supposed to care what he thinks?"

"What you are supposed to do is let me go." Though the old Damon would make a sassy comment and leave, this new Damon started sauntering forward.

"I saw your latest artwork in Tennessee." He poked the beast. "Walking a fine line there, keep that up and there will be no saving you."

Stefan just let out a dark chuckle, "See the thing is." He chuckle again, "I don't need any saving. I just want you to let me go. " He sounded amused now and Charity recognized it from the last time she met Ripper!Stefan.

"You see I have a birthday girl at home that's not going to let me do that." Damon walked forward even farther and even Charity could tell he was playing with fire and he was about to get burned.

Stefan nodded, "Maybe I haven't made my point clear." He looked up towards the ceiling. "Hey Andy, you still there?"

Damon looked surprised as he repeated the name and looked up to where the reporter was standing, "Damon, I can't move. He told me I can't move." She stuttered out and Damon looked pissed.

"Hold on Andie," Damon walked so he was nose to nose with Stefan. "Not cool brother."

"Oh come on. Not even a little bit cool." Stefan joked and the fireworks that had been burning since the first saw the ripper set off.

Charity knew that it was a good thing she was here as Damon protested and Stefan proved his point by making the girl kill herself. The look in Damon's eyes as she died was one that her Damon would never even think of wearing. Stefan let out one more remark about not following him and ran off; Damon immediately rushed to the woman's side. Charity watched as his hands flitted over her as if there was something he could do. The pathetic display became too much and Charity found herself walking towards the pair, her heels clicking on the hard floor.

As she got closer Damon's head snapped up and he looked at her with fury in his eyes, "Why didn't you do anything! He wasn't even touching you. You could have saved her."

Charity shook her head. "Why?" She asked simply, not even trying to deny that she could have done something.

"What do you mean why?!" Damon asked, looking appalled that she even asked that question.

"I mean exactly that Damon." She crossed her arms over her chest. "Why should I go against a ripper's wishes just to save a human? Fun fact; humans are weak creatures and are going to die whether it is now or in forty years when she uses up her health. She will die and we will move one because she is a human."

Damon looked mad so she continued, he needed to hear this. "It's the same reason why loving that Elena girl is an idiotic idea. We are vampires and humans are our source of food. It is a morbid existence but it is ours and we can't change it now." She shook her head once more. "I don't know who you are but the Damon _I knew _wouldn't even let this faze him. In fact he would probably be relieved he didn't have to figure out a way to get rid of her."

Damon seemed to be getting the point and he stood up, stepping away from the crumpled body. Charity used this time to walk up to him and put a hand on his shoulder, "Stefan is a ripper now and you need to get over it. He is going to kill people and it's OK because we are not with him therefore it doesn't draw attention to us. He has been a ripper before and he has grown up and dealt with his problems like a man before to. We just need to let him do his midlife crisis again and be there when he comes crawling back."

Damon looked back down at the body and Charity could practically see the gears in his mind turning. She rolled her eyes and started walking away. "If you want we can go get ice cream and a rom com and deal with this like the angsty teenage girl you have been impersonating since I returned or you can deal with this like a real man and we can go to a bar, get drunk, and find some hot chicks to drink or bang, your choice."

Damon took one last look at the body before turning one of his famous smirks on her and asking, "How close is the nearest bar?"

~-_0_-~

Four hours later they were stumbling back into the Salvatore house drunk on booze and blood.

If Charity had been more sober she would have noted that it looked like all of the teens had cleared out and that the house was relatively clean. Instead they just stormed through babbling to each other while stumbling around. They made their way up the stairs and Charity couldn't tell who was using the other for support more.

Neither were lightweights and both could hold their alcohol ten times better through actual decades of practice but both needed an excuse to act like children and if being well fed with blood and watered with alcohol wasn't a good excuse Charity didn't know what was.

Eventually they found their way to Damon's room just to be met by a mad Elena standing in the middle of it.

"Where the hell have you been Damon?" She asked, crossing her arms over her chest and tapping her foot like an angry mom, Charity couldn't help but giggle at the image. "And who is this? Some whore you decided it was OK to pick up."

That was the comment that had Charity sobering, "Excuse me?" She asked but before she could get any cattier Damon intervened.

"Elena this is Charity, an old friend of mine. We have just been out catching up." He seemed a bit more sober himself and Charity had to thank the vampire metabolism.

"OK then what is this." Elena turned around grabbing a stack of papers from on top of the dresser.

"That's nothing Elena," Damon began to sound as whipped as he was when Charity had first returned so she elbowed him in the side before giving him a look, he seemed to get what she meant and he nodded.

"You have been tracking him this whole time and you didn't feel the need to tell me?!" Elena was enraged. She didn't even seem to notice their interchange as she shifted through the papers with heat.

"I said it's nothing Elena. Go home." She looked like she was about to protest again so he added. "Yes I have been tracking him but it's over now. He doesn't want to be found and frankly I don't want to find him anymore."

"You don't want to find him!" Elena screeched and Charity felt she might have to check her ears after this. "Your brother is off killing people with a crazy original vampire and you don't want to find him?!"

"It's just something he does." Damon tried to explain but both vampires knew it was a lost cause. "He leaves kills some people then comes back. It's something he has always done and it is something you need to accept."

Elena looked enraged but instead of arguing she just stomped out like the teenage girl she was. Charity knew it wouldn't be the last of that conversation but she couldn't bring herself to care because Damon's bed was calling to her and she knew there was no way she would be able to make it to her own. She stripped from her dress and heels as she approached it. Flopping beneath the covers once she was in her underwear. Damon seemed unaffected as he stripped and got in beside her. It wasn't the first time the shared a bed together and it wouldn't be the last time. Both saw the other more as a sibling than a love interest so it was a great way to cuddle without having to deal with sex or a girlfriend/boyfriend.

"I will never know what you two find attractive in her." She grumbled as she turned so she was on her stomach. "She isn't even that attractive."

"You know I don't even know why." Damon replied as he let his arm drape over her and moved so he was using her upper back as a pillow.

"Just don't let that happen again mister." She ordered, trying her best to sound commanding while falling asleep.

Damon chuckled, "Don't worry I won't."

**Disclaimer: Not a thing 'cept my OC**

**-Just so you know there is not even a little bit of romantic feelings between Charity and Damon and there will not be. They just use each other as pillows and are comfortable with their bodies. I like to think that if you have been friends that long there is nothing you haven't seen.**

**-Sorry for all of the dialogue right out of the show in this one. I tried to cut it down as much as I could but I just felt it needed to be there. **


End file.
